Building a business in a pandemic is a different sort of animal, said Barry Bialik, Thirsty Monk founder and CEO.
"Whatever you can throw on the wall that sticks, sticks," he said.
In the former newspaper publisher's case, that means pivoting a cocktail concept in Biltmore Park Town Square to sell salad.
Why not? Or rather, why hasn't anyone done this before?
That's the question that drove Bialik to create Tasty Greens, which will open soon in the front of Monk's Flask, a cozy — and currently closed — speakeasy style-cocktail space adjoining the Biltmore Park location of Thirsty Monk.
After COVID-related mandates keeping bars closed are lifted, Bialik said Monk's Flask will still operate in a space behind Tasty, speakeasy style.
More: Photos: Inside Monk's Flask
More: Thirsty Monk launches new cocktail and wine bar in South Asheville
Like Chopt and Sweetgreen, the fast-casual Tasty Greens will serve salads and grain bowls in a similar fashion as Chipotle: choose your base and add-ons, or order from a menu of a la carte options.
"It's something I was surprised the city didn't have yet," said Bialik, who has been a vegetarian for decades.
Any economic downturn often drives diners toward comfort food, which is part of what makes opening a build-your-own salad spot during the COVID pandemic intriguing.
But these are not insubstantial salads. A roasted corn, sweet pepper, jalapeño and grilled Cotija cheese bowl with chipotle ranch is meant to echo Mexican street corn, for example.
That's comfort food as far as Bialik is concerned.
Big slices on the South Slope
Tyler Kotch and Jack Morrissey, co-owners of the forthcoming Pie.Zaa Pizza, which will serve late-night pies on the South Slope, also have comfort food on the mind.
"Plenty of people want to be fat and happy on the couch right now," Morrissey said. "And we're guilty of the same."
With manager Jake Fisher, the business partners will serve "massive" New York style pizzas and slices from 11 a.m. until midnight on weekdays, 3 a.m. on weekends at 46 Millard Ave.
Slices, which start at $4.50, will be a whopping 15 inches long, an affordable comfort the partners say people are craving.
The concept is also easy to grasp in a world that otherwise isn't: large pies and slices, affordable beer, wine, liquor slushies. No salad. No pasta.
"The whole gig is just making fantastic pizza easy and quick," Kotch said.
Though it seems counterintuitive, in some ways opening during a pandemic was advantageous, Morrissey added.
"You can grab a slice on the go and get on with your day," he said. "One of our slices is like a full meal. Times are tough, and people are scaling back on their purchases."
Still, just because a plan works in a pandemic doesn't make it easy.
"You must adapt to survive," Morrissey said. "This is an ever-evolving situation. It's like nothing we've ever seen before."
But with plenty of space for socially distanced dining outside and a model that adapts well to contactless curbside pickup and delivery, the restaurant has an advantage over others.
"This is the right game for what's being presented to us right now," Kotch said.
Adapting to dark times
Bialik, whose Portland, Oregon, taproom is permanently closed, his massive downtown Asheville flagship temporarily dark, said doing business during the pandemic has been rough.
Hiring for the new salad concept has also been a bear.
Tasty will open soon regardless, though a date has not yet been set. Bialik said once he gets he sea legs under him, he'll begin to think about expansion. Downtown could be on the docket.
"Everything we try to do, we design it so that it could be replicated," he said.
The Biltmore Park Monk's Flask space, which also sits empty, is a natural first choice for Tasty Greens, with the location answering well the needs of the times.
It not only will provide an important revenue stream for him, it will capitalize on growing customer trends.
With a walkup window, it will be takeout friendly. And with an outdoor patio with room for 50-60 people, it will answer an increasing desire for open-air dining.
It's also worth mentioning that not everyone is taking the pandemic sitting down on the couch.
Bialik said his lower calorie Holy Water hard seltzers and Monk Lite continue to be strong sellers, consistent with national trends lifting sales of similar beverages among the health-conscious.
More: Hard seltzer: An exploding craft beverage segment, coming to an Asheville brewery near you
Bialik was one of the earlier brewery owners to pivot toward that trend. For Bialik, who also builds small-footprint homes, answering wider trends is the key to being a strong businessman, no matter the cultural climate.
Originally, he tried to figure out a way to align the branding between his new restaurant concept and brewery.
"Branding-wise, it's hard to align," he said.
But in a pandemic, what works, works, whether that's shifting your bar to be a salad restaurant or bodega.
"Every brand is having to redefine itself now," he said.
More: 'It's strangling us': Still barred from reopening, bar and gym owners struggle
More: From cocktails to toilet paper: Restaurants, bars, serve as markets during COVID-19
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Mackensy Lunsford has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years, and has been a staff writer for the Asheville Citizen Times since 2012. Lunsford is a former professional line cook and one-time restaurant owner.
Reach me: mlunsford@citizentimes.com.
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August 18, 2020 at 04:00PM
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Veteran brewery owner brings build-your-own salad concept to South Asheville - Citizen Times
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